1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to illumination systems that include lights that are worn on or about a person's head. The present invention also relates to the use of retroreflective materials. More particularly, the present invention relates to illumination systems having spaced sources of illumination that are used to illuminate retroreflective materials.
2. Prior Art Description
Battery powered flashlights have been in existence for over a century. During this long period of time, flashlights have been configured in countless ways, including configurations that are intended to be worn on a user's head. Mounting a flashlight to a user's head has many benefits. A head-mounted flashlight automatically illuminates the area in which a person is facing. The beam of a flashlight also focuses a person's attention to the objects being illuminated by the beam of light. Furthermore, a head-mounted flashlight enables a person to have two free hands. It is for these reasons that miners use helmets with mounted lights and physicians use headbands with mounted lights. In more common applications, there are many flashlights marketed to campers and runners that have headbands that enable the flashlight to be worn on the forehead. Likewise, there are many flashlight designs that are configured to attach to the brims of hats.
Flashlights are typically designed to shine polychromatic white light in a single beam of light. The light from the flashlight illuminates everything within the range of the beam. However, due to the polychromatic nature of the light, the beam of the flashlight readily mixes with ambient light. Accordingly, the beam of a flashlight is often impossible to detect in any area that is exposed to daylight or in a space that is well lit from other ambient light sources.
It is common sense that an object can be more readily seen if that object is better illuminated than its surroundings. This is why flashlights are useful in finding objects in dark places. However, what if an object is in a well lit place where a beam of flashlight has no effect?
The present invention discloses an illumination system that can be used to illuminate targeted objects in otherwise well lit locations. The illumination system makes the targeted object brighter than other untargeted objects even in bright ambient light. This produces a broader range of peripherally reflected light, thus providing faster tracking and location finding abilities for the user. The illumination system also focuses a person's attention to the targeted object.
The details of the present invention illumination system are described and claimed below.